NHL Slate Analysis — Friday, October 23, 2026
Friday, October 23, 2026 · NHL
These games have been played. Picks and prices, where shown, are AiQ's from before each game started. See how they finished in the NHL recaps.
The NHL slate for Friday, October 23, 2026 has 2 games, the first at 7:00 PM CT. AiQ has a moneyline pick on all 2. None of AiQ's picks on this slate has a price on record above fair value. Each price is the one AiQ valued the pick at when it last priced the game.
Every game
Montreal Canadiens at Chicago Blackhawks
7:00 PM CT at United Center. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Montreal Canadiens 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3. That is an average, not a pick.
The Montreal Canadiens have won 4 of their 9 games this season, winning three of the last five. The Chicago Blackhawks have won 3 of their 9 games this season, winning two of the last five. The Chicago Blackhawks come in with more rest: their last game was on October 17, six days before this one, while the Montreal Canadiens played three days before. When these teams last met, on December 18, 2025, the Montreal Canadiens won 4-1 at home.
Matchups to watch.
- The probable starting goalies are Jacob Fowler (confirmed, .901 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Montreal Canadiens and Spencer Knight (confirmed, .888 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Chicago Blackhawks.
- Weakness against weakness in scoring. The Chicago Blackhawks averaged 2.33 goals per game this season, the 3rd fewest in the NHL, and the Montreal Canadiens allowed 3.78 goals per game, the 4th most.
- Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Montreal Canadiens a 60.2% chance to beat Chicago Blackhawks. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -170, is priced below the fair price of -151 (−4.3% value).
- Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 47.8% and the under at 52.2%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.5 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
- Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Montreal Canadiens -1.5 a 37.3% chance to cover and Chicago Blackhawks +1.5 62.7%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.
Trends in play.
Recent results against the puck line back the Chicago Blackhawks, the underdog here. The Montreal Canadiens failed to cover the puck line in 9 of their last 10 games.
Everything points over on the total. The last 4 games involving the Montreal Canadiens went over the total. The Chicago Blackhawks went over the total in 4 of 5 home games this season.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Colorado Avalanche
8:00 PM CT at Ball Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Colorado Avalanche 3. That is an average, not a pick.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have won 7 of their 9 games this season, winning the last three. The Colorado Avalanche have won 5 of their 10 games this season, winning two of the last five. When these teams last met, on January 6, 2026, the Tampa Bay Lightning won 4-2 at home.
Matchups to watch.
- The probable starting goalies are Andrei Vasilevskiy (confirmed, .897 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Mackenzie Blackwood (confirmed, .888 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Colorado Avalanche.
- Strength against strength in shots. The Colorado Avalanche averaged 30.6 shots on goal per game this season, tied for the 3rd most in the NHL, and the Tampa Bay Lightning allowed 24.2 shots on goal per game, the 4th fewest.
- Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Colorado Avalanche a 53.4% chance to beat Tampa Bay Lightning. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -120 at Fanatics, is priced below the fair price of -114 (−2.2% value).
- Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 47.7% and the under at 52.3%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.4 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
- Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Tampa Bay Lightning +1.5 a 68.7% chance to cover and Colorado Avalanche -1.5 31.3%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.
Trends in play.
The total pulls both ways. The Colorado Avalanche went over the total in 4 of 5 home games this season. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning went under the total in 7 of their last 10 games.
These come from the closing lines of this season and last. They are context, not the reason for AiQ's picks, and the books price them in.